By George Kevin Jordan, AFRO Staff Writer
The numbers don’t lie. According to statistics provided by the Smithsonian about 20 million people visited the collage of free museums this year. (The numbers go through October.) That number was 30 million last year. Make no mistake; a chunk of those visitors came to the popular National Museum of African American History and Culture. Just this year the NMAAHC brought in over 1.7 million, and 2.4 million last year.
Just down the way however, a smaller quieter space still packs a historical and cultural punch- and it is worth seeing along with NMAAHC.
A piece featured at the Smithsonian Museum of African Art in Northwest, D.C. (Photo by George Kevin Jordan)
The Smithsonian’s Museum of African Art (MAA) pulls in fewer numbers, about 124,787 in 2018 and 159,000 in 2017. But this does not mean the MAA has less to offer. In fact, it may be the perfect companion to the NMAAHC.
The museum, part of the outer crust of the Smithsonian mall, is located on Independence Avenue between the Arts and Industries building and the Freer Gallery. It’s an understated and serene site with the Enid A. Haupt Garden offering a visual and physical respite from all the buildings. Part of the African Museum is under the actual garden.
The museum opened to the public in 1987. Centered on sub-Saharan Africa at first, the Smithsonian expanded its collection to include contemporary African works as well.
The “Healing Arts” exhibit greets guests when entering. It is an array of artifacts and paintings that address spirituality and divinity while addressing issues like HIV/AIDS. There are medicine containers and pieces of craft work all under the auspice of healing.
One level below is the “Good As Gold: Fashioning Senegalese Women” exhibit. The space shows that jewelry can have a higher purpose beyond blinging out your wrist. Here the ornaments seen are objects of identity, status and, in some cases, power. A walk through the expansive space and you are taken aback by the majesty and details of the pieces. The exhibit also traces the might and expansive history of the gold trade in Senegal and other parts of Africa.
Stepping deeper into the cavernous space we come upon the “Visionary: Viewpoints on Africa’s Arts” which is an almost interactive experience which challenges visitors to explore art through all their senses. “Visionary” explains that artists and audience have a viewpoint, in how art is made and in turn how it is received. The museum created a user and kid friendly guide to assist people in framing and ingesting the art before them.
One of the most stunning pieces is a mid-20th century wood mask that greets guests as they enter the space. It is humongous in size, brightness and showmanship. It is meant to dazzle and draw people into the work. The detail on the mask is precise and yet when standing back it creates a larger visual canvas by which to see the art.
The Museum of African Art is not as popular as NMAAHC, but because fewer people are walking through the space, guests get more time with each piece. During a Friday afternoon excursion, there were no more than 20 people in the building. This allowed for something more popular spaces can’t offer – reflection time.
Take the opportunity to tour both spaces on your visit to downtown D.C. While it is necessary to be prepared for the long lines in one place, be prepared for uninterrupted observation in the other. Both are worth your time, and together offer a wider scope of the African and African-American Diaspora.
Museum of African Art
950 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20560
202.633.4600
Open daily from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. except Christmas Day.